|
 INNISFAIL, Australia (AP) - Plantation owner Kerry Alcock roamed his fields, machete in hand, seeking to salvage what he could of his banana crop. When he finds a heavy bunch still fit to sell amid the tangle of debris covering his plantation, the 58-year-old lugs it out on his back — a method he hasn't used since his youth.
In the lush agricultural region of northern Queensland state, the farmers who produce most of Australia's bananas were among those who lost their livelihoods to Cyclone Larry, a Category 5 storm with winds reaching 180 mph.
The damage has sent banana prices skyrocketing 2 1/2 times and kindled fears that markets could be open to imported fruit, a development that also has the potential of letting in foreign diseases that could decimate the local industry.
|